I am Hank Azaria – actor, Simpsons voice guy & Determined to Succeed supporter. AMA.

In episode 2F09 when Itchy plays Scratchy's skeleton like a xylophone, he strikes the same rib twice in succession, yet he produces two clearly different tones. I mean, what are we to believe, that this is some sort of a magic xylophone or something? Boy, I really hope somebody got fired for that blunder.

worst. question. ever.

Yes, I'm looking for Hugh Jass, please.

hold on, i'll check

wait a minute, if i ever find you, i'm gonna (insert violent Moe joke here)

Hank! Thanks for the AMA. I fall asleep to the Simpsons, and have been every night for the past 5 years. How does it feel to know that there are people like me out there that seriously can't fall asleep without you talking?

why should you be any different than my wife?

Are you allowed to use the voices in interviews or in public etc, or are they "copyrighted" or subject to some contractual terms where you can't use them?

i can definitely use them in public on talk shows and appearances, etc. i can't go on another show as moe or apu doing scripted stuff, getting animated, unless we get approval from 99 lawyers which we will never get.

Thanks for the reply! Just wanted to let you know your contribution to the show will go down in history. I like to think you'll be remembered as the Mel Blanc of our generation. You may need to murder Billy West to get there, but I've no doubt in your abilities.

i have actually taken out a contract on the life of billy west, so it's funny you said that

Hi Hank! I've been a fan of yours ever since you were walking Murray on Mad About You. I've never heard of Determined to Succeed. What is it, and why should I support it?

DTS is a local LA educational non profit. We take at-risk socio-economically challenged kids in 6th grade who show a willingness to learn and are quite literally Determined to Succeed. we mentor and tutor them through junior high and high school, help keep them off the streets and out of gangs in the summertime, and help them with their college admissions. our first group of students had 100% college acceptance rate. You can help by donating to my Birthday Wish: http://www.causes.com/actions/1744700-hank-azarias-birthday-wish-raise-10-000-for-determined-to-succeed

When voicing a character for the first time, how much input do you get for how they will sound? How do you decide how they sound?

that's a good question. early on, i would really spend hours trying different voices out loud for different characters. then over the years i got quicker and quicker at just instinctively assigning a voice to a character. if i'm really not sure, i'll ask the writer how he hears it, who it sounds like to them, etc. sometimes they'll tell you in the stage direction "should sound like robert stack" or whatever. and then, if they don't like what i'm doing, they're not shy and they'll tell me and we'll adjust it.

Loved you in Run Fat Boy, Run. How was it working with Simon Pegg?

Simon Pegg is literally my hero. He is absolutely as sweet and hilarious in person as he is on screen. and i really admire his creativity in front of and behind the camera.

Is it true that in the locker room scene you didn't use one of the skin patches to cover up just to get a reaction of pure shock from Simon? How could anyone possibly keep a straight face during shooting if that's the case?!

that is true. be careful how you use the term "straight" face

Agador Sparticus, how much of that character was your creation?

that role was originally not supposed to be latin. once they decided to make him spanish, they pretty much let me transpose the dialogue into "guatemalan-ness," for lack of a better term. most of that dialogue was scripted. we rehearsed very intensely for two weeks and all the adlibs that mike nichols and elaine may liked got put in the script, and then we were encouraged to stick to those when we were shooting. i managed to sneak in a few weird touches though like saying "come on, gloria" when i picked up my boombox and things like that.

-What's yor favorite episode?

-What's your favorite recording moment?

-favorite non-Simpsons television show?

-Favorite joke on the Simpsons?

Thank you very much!!

Long time fan!

Edit: eeehuggraa

• favorite episode is cape feare.
• favorite recording moment was being moe with mick jagger
• hard to pick, i loved the honeymooners, the odd couple, all in the family, deadwood, star trek (the original and tng)
• favorite joke is from cape feare, when sideshow bob kept stepping on the rakes

If you ever became a cop, how often do you think you'd be doing wiggums voice when pulling people over?

probably a lot. it would probably either get me killed or save my life.

Have you ever seen Dan Castellaneta choke Nancy Cartwright on set to get the sound effect right?

i have never witnessed it, but there is a lot of circumstantial evidence to prove that it has happened.

Hey hank! Thanks for doing this AMA! I was wondering at what age did you realize your vocal talents? Also, what was it like to be phoebes boyfriend on friends? Thanks again! P.S. Happy birthday!

i was mimicking things as early as i can remember. i thought everyone could do it. i didn't realize it was a special skill until i was about 10 or 12. it was fun being on the friends set. it was sort of like seeing some weird 90s version of beatlemania. thanks!

How did you get into voice acting? Was it a chance meeting, or simply sending a demo tape?

Edit: my daughter loved you as Gargamel in the Smurfs.

it was a chance meeting. i very early in my career did the voice of a cartoon dog called Hollywood Dog for a Fox pilot that failed miserably but i got the audition for the simpsons based on that. and the rest is history.

What was the absolute best parts of working on Mystery Men? One of my favorite movies, btw

that was a surprisingly difficult and not that fun movie to make. i loved hanging around with ben, janeane and bill, but we should have had more fun than we did making that movie. i'm much more fond of it now than i was at the time.

Thank you Mr. Azaria for doing this AMA!

In the Simpsons, there was an episode where Moe pulled a shotgun on Homer for Homer's $600 pants, and Moe said, "Yeah, I rob now." I believe it was a DVD commentary where it was mentioned you had reservations about Moe doing and saying this. As the seasons have continued, do you feel there are still things that are too extreme for Moe? Or has it progressed to a point where you'll let anything go?

i'm surprised i expressed any reservation at that. it's an interesting question because you don't want to commit "character assassination" and do something you feel your character would never do; however, a lot of the fun of Moe and many of the simpsons characters is that over time they get more and more outrageous. i think as long as it's funny it's ok.

Hi Hank, thanks for this. Are there any roles you been in the running for but missed out on?

i desperately wanted to be joey on friends and even auditioned twice for it after they had already rejected me once.

Any great Robin Williams or Nathan Lane stories from filming The Birdcage? Thanks for doing this!

everyone knows how witty and spontaneous robin is and he was certainly hilarious during the birdcage. not many people know just how clever nathan lane is off the top of his head. the two of them together was truly like watching some amazing comedy team that had worked together for years. robin is also one of the kindest, most genuine actors i've ever worked with. and when he's not making everyone laugh, he genuinely listens to people and cares about them and takes the time to get to know everyone. mostly i remember fighting not to laugh during takes and ruining the movie. i didn't want to leave the set even when i was done working because it was so funny all the time, on camera and off.

Are you really as nice as you seem?

what the fuck is that supposed to mean?

Hank, which Simpsons character would you say closely reflects your true personality? (Ten bucks Professor Frink)

that's a really interesting question that i've never been asked before. i would say i'm a cross between carl and comic book guy.

Are you going to be in the new Godzilla movie?

seeing as the first one very nearly killed my career, i would say no.

How do you feel about Seth MacFarlane?

i'm a tremendous fan of seth macfarlane. both his vocal work and his writing. i'd look up to him if he wasn't so much younger than me. damn him.

How's Minsk?

cold. lonely. also i've never been.

Who is your favorite Simpsons character you voice over? Also, who is your favorite Simpsons character you don't voice over?

1. Professor Frink.
2. that changes over the years. I've loved Ralph Wiggum, Kent Brockman, Krusty the Klown and I get a huge kick out of Cookie Kwan

Hi, Hank! Have you ever gotten your own jokes included in the show?

yes, many times. i'll always do 2 takes exactly as written and then i start to play around and they use what they like in editing

Can I get an all-syrup Super Squishy?

if you sign a waiver releasing me from any responsibility for any medical consequences

When you first started the Simpsons did you think it would take off like it did? Did you find yourself laughing at the jokes while doing their voices or more so after watching the finished episode?

no one could have ever predicted the success of the simpsons. anyone who says they did, is lying. we laughed a lot making the show and still do. i often have to run away from the mic so as not to ruin takes by giggling like an idiot.

Hi Hank! Which of the Simpsons characters voiced by your fellow cast do you most wish you had been given to act?

this is a good question because there are times when, especially with celebrity impressions, i'll feel like they made a mistake assigning it to somebody else. harry, dan and i all do a lot of impressions and it kind of broke my heart that i didn't get to do johnny carson and woody allen. and count dracula, for some odd reason. that said, harry's and dan's versions are brilliant.

then there are times that i get assigned ones that i feel harry or dan would do better than i would. like they gave me yogi bear, but my yogi bear sucks so dan ended up doing it.

What's the scoop on "Herman's head" Are they ever going to bring it back??

i'm always a little surprised that people liked that show. i guess it was fun, and i certainly loved making it and learned a lot, and was grateful for the job, and loved all the people involved with it...but to be honest, the show was never my cup of tea. i feel bad saying that because i'm glad you liked it, but it is the truth.

Do you think you'll actually look like Rip Torn in your old age?

i'll probably sound like him. that question made me giggle.

Happy early Birthday! Mr. Azaria!! Like everyone else, I love your work in the Simpsons. However, I wanted to ask you about your role in Spamalot. I had the pleasure of seeing your performance on Broadway.

How did it feel to work with Tim Curry?

How would you explain the feeling you got when you walked up on stage?

What was your inspiration for Sir Lancelot?

And will you be trying for an EGOT?

Thank you so much for doing this AMA! I look forward to seeing you on the Broadway stage again if you're ever in another show.

Tim Curry was an idol of mine. in fact i showed him a picture of me at age 15 in a rocky horror tshirt. doing spamalot was the closest i'll get to being a rockstar. there was such an insane response and love for that show. i was such a crazy python fan growing up that i wasn't kidding when i said i was off-book (meaning i had my lines memorized) from the time i was 12. and my inspiration for sir lancelot was john cleese, who else? as i am not philip michael thomas, i will not be trying for an EGOT. who gets that reference?

Which of the other voice actors is the best cuddler?

My money is on Dan Castellaneta.

i haven't cuddled with anyone. i've only made out with matt groening, but that was just that one time.

im a huge fan of the show Huff. Was that your favorite role? and also why did it end only after 2 seasons?

it was not my favorite role, although i loved the show. it was a very difficult role to play because it was so emotionally wrenching all the time. also i felt like all the other characters in the show were so colorful, and i was mostly just listening to them and reacting to their insanity. it ended because the ratings weren't great and les moonves took over showtime and i don't think he liked the show.

Do you ever crank call people in Moe's voice?

that's a really good idea. what's your number?

Hi Hank,

Massive fan of your work, can't decide which character is my favourite. Is it hard for a voice actor to transfer his skills to the screen, and vice versa? I imagine when you do the Simpsons voices your face is all sort of contorted into strange expressions that wouldn't look good on the big screen. . no offence. .

some voices require weirder faces than others. wiggum and frink are particularly goofy. you can't do a good vocal performance without committing to it physically so you pretty much look insane no matter what voice you are doing.

I know Dan has written a few episodes of "The Simpsons." Do you have any interest in writing an episode before it's all over?

i think if it hasn't happened by now, it probably will not. on occasion, i sit in on the writers' session and pitch jokes, but mostly i prefer to do that as i'm recording. they do such an unbelievable job on the show, that i feel i really can't improve upon it. so i focus my writing elsewhere.

Happy (early) birthday. Loved you in Shattered Glass. That was a great movie. Tell me about your most awkward encounter with a fan who recognized you.

there was a really stoned guy in vegas who shook my hand and wouldn't let it go and kept complimenting my shirt. there was a really creepy guy in manhattan who came up behind me and whispered in my ear, "you think because you're carrying a red backpack that no one will recognize you?" took me a while to shake that one off.

Outstanding work! Big fan.

Do you find it hard to keep all the voices separated? Do you find yourself 'in-between' voices sometimes?

no, that has never come up. i think you can either do this or you can't, so for me it's kind of the easiest thing in the world to do. but if you can't do it, it's impossible.

What is one role you wish you got at the time, but looking back glad you didn't?

almost every role that you lose out on, especially early in your career, you're kind of devastated by. my ex-wife once, when i was particularly heartbroken over a role i lost, took me by hand to the video store (when they still existed) and pointed out how many roles in many many different movies she didn't get that she was sure, at the time, would have made her a huge star. and i swear that 99% of those movies and roles were all silly, and major disappointments. after that, i really put that kind of thing in perspective and didn't worry about it too much.

Hi Hank; thanks for doing this AMA! I'm a lifelong Simpson's fan and still watch every episode as soon as I can. Who is your favorite character to voice? Are any of your characters just your 'regular' voice?

Do people recognize your voice if you're out in public?

Thanks again!

my favorite character to voice is Professor Frink just because I enjoy how silly it sounds. they really have to stop me from doing it once I get started. I just want to do more and more takes that get sillier and sillier. no running characters are my regular voice but i use my regular voice a lot in the show, mostly for straight man voices. people don't usually recognize my voice in public unless i'm running around screaming like moe or ordering a coffee as apu, which I don't.

Why is Moe's voice so different now from how it was in the 1990s? Link for reference.

that's very observant and correct. partially it's because my voice has gotten deeper over the years as the character became more real and gained more layers and depth, i felt it should be less squeaky and more "human sounding." i didn't notice it was happening while it was happening, but i prefer the current moe voice. which do you like?

Hey Hank! My office mate and your friend Myra wants to know if your summers at Camp Towanda really were the happiest times of your life? Thanks for the AMA!!

hi myra! and i would say that yes they were.

Is Friends the only time you and Paul Rudd fought over a girl?

no, if by "girl" you mean "donut at the craft service table." that's right, paul and i call donuts "girls."

Are you up for le scooba?

no.

Hi Hank. I know you like to play poker, do you come to Vegas to play often? Or do you normally just play at celebrity tournaments and the like? If you do come to Vegas to play, whats your favorite poker room?

i have hosted a weekly game at my house for many years now. mostly with the same 20 or 30 guys who come in and out. i play more cash game than tournament poker. i've played in vegas often over the years. i like the room at the wynn and the venetian, but pretty much any poker table in any room makes me happy.

Has Matt Groening ever offered you a guest spot on Futurama?

I have done a guest spot. I was zoidberg's uncle harold zoid.

is an in character Al Pacino scary?

not if you can control the volume, but otherwise kind of. that scene was shot on our mutual birthday, april 25.

Of all the lines you've read, what's your favorite?

it's hard to pick. it would probably be a moe line, but it would be like sophie's choice to single one out.

Your organization is a great thing man. I live in Washington, DC and have many friends who are teachers who would love this and would certainly relate. How did you get involved with it?

a woman who worked for me left my employ to become a teacher. then a few years later came to me with the idea and i was in immediately...and it's worked out great.

How close were you to Phil Hartman and if you could bring back one of his Simpsons Characters who would it be?

we recorded with phil many times, and i had many a pleasant chat with phil, but i can't say that i was close to him. it's either lionel hutz or troy mcclure. and it always struck me as hilarious that a man who could pretty much do anything with his voice did the exact same voice for both those characters. i'm sure he did that on purpose.

Hi Hank, I'm sure you get this question a lot, but as an aspiring voice actor what is the best way to get auditions? Thank you! (My favorite role of yours was Venom)

the best thing to do is to find a good voice teacher. most of them are in new york or la, but they certainly exist elsewhere...and create, with their guidance, an audition reel once you've honed your skills. then, get impossibly and unbelievably lucky. that is my advice.

If you could meet any character from the simpsons in real life, who would it be and why?

another good question...i think i'd like to hang out with moe and tell him that everything is going to be alright.

Hank you are awesome! How does it feel knowing that you are such an essential part of the greatest animated show in history?

i experience it as a tingling in my midsection, and it really is quite an honor and remains tremendously fun to do.

Hi! Thanks for doing the AMA. What do you consider to be your greatest achievement?

this is going to sound sappy, but it is by far the raising of my son.

Are you planning on reprising your role as Jim Brockmire for The Rich Eisen Podcast this season?

i'm certain i will be back with rich eisen soon, and we are very close on making a funny or die jim brockmire movie as well.

If you could get any celebrity quest star on The Simpsons, who would that be? And if you could quest star in any TV show (physical acting or just voice), what would that show be?

it would be cool to have bruce springsteen do the simpsons. i'm really in to game of thrones right now, i wouldn't mind jumping in on that insanity. also love american horror story. i love family guy, but i actually just recorded a voice for that show.

Greetings!

Your performance in The Birdcage is one of my favourite acted anythings ever. Thanks for that, and for the many years of Simpsonian amusement. You're just all-around neato.

What's your favourite breakfast food?

i eat healthily to an almost annoying degree and i pretty much only eat fruit in the morning

One thing that separates The Simpsons from most cartoons is the fact that it has the ability to be both absurd and sentimental. What was your favorite sentimental moment in Simpsons history?

i find all the lisa episodes particularly moving. it's hard to pick one.

Hey Hank, you do such a great job on voice acting. How do you prepare before voice acting? Like when you switch between Moe and Apu? Do you do them on separate days or do you do all in one if they appear in an episode?

all in one, my friend. sometimes i even talk to myself as 4 different people. occasionally, i will go through the scene one time as moe, and then on another take do it as apu if they are talking to each other. but usually we just let it rip.

For as long as I can remember, the Simpsons has been a part of my life. It is my favorite show of all time and I can't imagine life without it. How much longer do you see the series going on for?

at least another couple of years. and hopefully beyond that.

Who was your favourite celebrity to work with during The Simpsons?

we often don't record with the guest stars. i definitely remember laughing really hard hearing mel gibson have to say "glaven!" recording with tom petty, elvis costello, david byrne, mick jagger, and aerosmith really freaked me out. i didn't realize until i met those guys what a rock and roll geek i was. i was amazingly impressed watching steve carrell work.

How was it being Kahmunrah in Night at the Museum 2? Is it easy for you to slip in and out of character when playing roles in movies and TV shows? Any tips on training your voice to play different roles?

again, changing my voices is just really easy for me. it always was, and then year after year of doing the simpsons has made me even more of a savant at that skill. sometimes i think all my talent is just centered in 1 cubic inch in my throat. that said, some voices or accents require a little bit of work especially if i'm trying to do like an authentic french or polish accent etc. once i hit on imitating boris karloff for night at the museum, which started off as a joke by the way, it was certainly easy to remain in that character. then once i have the voice, the physicality tends to follow naturally.

Huff was one of the best shows on TV (at the time), so my questions is when, when, when if ever will Season 2 come out on DVD? I NEED to know what happens!

you can get season 2 on amazon, thanks

Your work is unparalleled in the voice acting industry. Other than yourself, who is your favourite voice actor? Simpsons or no?

i really only like me. no no, my hero growing up was bugs bunny. then when i learned that was mel blanc, my hero became and remains mel blanc.

Hi Hank, What is your exercise regime these days? Is it mostly cardio or weights? I'm on my way to a spin class and I bet you thought I was going to ask a Smurf question ;-) Have a great day tomorrow!

it's the same as it's been for many years. i run and lift weights. sometimes i chase smurfs.

how do you feel the quality of the simpsons has gone from the the beginning of the show to now? do you think the jokes got better or worse? if they got worse, when do you think that the show went downhill? also im a huge fan of yours.

mostly i'm too close to the show and love doing it so much to have an objective opinion. i do what i've always done, which is show up and enjoy making what they've written come to life. the show still really makes me laugh. i've certainly seen online over the years, and elsewhere, people criticizing the show. it reminds me of the beatles anthology. there's this section where people are talking about how the white album isn't so good...that it was too long and that a lot of the tracks didn't work, and you see various people saying it wasn't up to snuff. and then, they cut to paul mccartney who says "yeah, i've heard people don't like the white album, but i say it's the bloody beatles white album. it's fucking great." that's kind of how i feel about the show.

Hey hank! Love your work! I was wondering what is your favorite MOEment? There are so many good ones. Which is your favorite?

i really like when he's taking the lie detector test and the thing keeps beeping because he's lying about what he's going to do with his evening.

Will Mystery Men 2 ever get made? One of the most underrated genre comedy gems of our time!

if it hasn't happened yet, i would seriously doubt it. plus that movie is a cult favorite but it really didn't make a lot of money.

Hank, how much do you make, roughly, per episode of the simpsons? Love your work, thanks for the AMA

i actually don't mind answering this question, but i probably shouldn't answer this question for legal and other reasons.

that said, you can probably google a pretty close approximation of what we all make...

If you weren't already married, would you consider being THE Bachelor?

absolutely not, but i would try to live out some real life version if i could.